


world class piece of art

by cosmicrhetoric



Series: New York, New York [3]
Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Bartender AU, F/F, elide is friends with all of squad, manon is in law school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 07:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9063013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicrhetoric/pseuds/cosmicrhetoric
Summary: Bartender AU. Elide works at a dive bar, and Manon likes the alcohol (and the company)





	

**Author's Note:**

> written for yulemaas!!
> 
> fits in with New York, New York, but can be read as a stand alone

Elide Lochan, biology student, twenty, was a bit of a mess.

A ‘hashtag mess with a capital M,’ her cousin Aelin would say. Of course, her cousin would immediately take it back because her cousin loved her dearly and was very sweet. 

A mess nonetheless, Elide was the sort of person who’s grocery bags ripped thirty feet from her apartment. Her lipstick was always, at any given point, probably  _ anywhere but _ her lips. The heating in Elide’s building would putter out the first day of winter.

She was a survivor of small inconveniences, and by the time she had lived through two decades, Elide sorta got used to it. 

At least, thought Elide gloomily, shuffling zombie-like through the damp Manhattan streets towards her favorite coffee shop, she could count on school.

She was  _ scary _ good at school. Of course, Columbia didn’t really take any slackers, especially pre-med, but Elide found that academics had always come easy to her. It didn’t mean that she was coasting this week during exams, but it meant she wasn’t about to throw herself out of a window. Which was good.

As soon as she walked into her beloved cafe, the barista offered her a small smile in welcome and began to make her drink. Elide slid onto a stool at the bar, taking out her wallet with fingers shaking from the cold.

“Hey, Rowan.” she said, wincing at how pinched her voice was sounding. She handed him a five dollar bill.

“Drink your coffee.” said Rowan, sliding her drink over. Rowan Whitethorn was six feet tall and looked like a vegan punk rocker. He was also her cousin’s long time boyfriend, and Elide adored him. He was like the angry older brother she never had, or wanted.

“Thank you.” said Elide gratefully. “Is A around?”

“Aelin should be stopping in a bit.” he answered. “How was your final?”

“I’m glad I’m good at chemistry.” Elide said darkly. Despite being good at school, chem still  _ sucked _ .

“And when do you have to be at work?”

Elide paid for school by picking up the graveyard shift and weekends at a local bar. The gruff man who hired her took one look at her fake ID, her baby face, and the bartending license she got from the community college down the street and hired her on the spot. Apparently, you didn’t have to be twenty-one to bartend. 

“I’m starting at eleven tonight.” she sighed. “So I’ll get the worst of the Saturday night crowd.”

Rowan narrowed his eyes. “They work you too hard there. Aelin freaks every time she sees you coming home, that’s how tired you look.”

“Aelin worries too much.” said Elide pointedly. Aelin  _ did _ worry too much. Elide was kinda glad she never had an angry older brother, cause Aelin was all the overprotective she needed. “I’m getting  _ cash _ .”

He snorted. “Yeah,  _ okay _ .”

“It tips better than being a barista, okay?”

Rowan leveled one of his Serious Looks at her. “El, if I were a pretty girl I’d be making better tips too.”

It was Elide’s turn to snort into her coffee.

“I’m just glad Aedion’s there.” Rowan continued. Elide winced slightly. Never mind, she thought. Aedion was technically her angry brother. “But you need to let him-or us- know if you’re too tired, okay? Your degree is more important that that job, I can spot you a little cash if-”

“Ro.” said Elide firmly, but not unkindly. “I am very fond of you. But please, I need to get through this on my own. Aelin’s got it worse than I do right now.”

“Aelin blackmailed some very important people into giving her a massive scholarship.” said Rowan dryly. “Law school may be more expensive, but she’s handling it.”

Elide conceded the point, waving a hand as the bell at the door rung, admitting a new crowd. Rowan turned to them, busily making drinks and taking orders. In the meantime, Elide pulled out her laptop and opened up an ebook-some sci fi from the 80’s. It was the weekend. She could live a little. 

About a half hour later, her cousin Aelin strolled in, looking like a model. Her eyes lit up as she saw Elide, and she gracefully slid into the chair next to her.

“How was your exam?”

Aelin was red lipstick and long legs, blonde hair cropped neatly at her chin. She was wearing an ivory pantsuit, proof that she had just come from her internship. 

“I did well, I think.” said Elide. She never felt inadequate, exactly, standing next to Aelin. It was true that her cousin was the sort of person who could outshine anyone effortlessly, and Elide did start to doubt her brown hair, never styled, her complete lack of cheekbones, her limp. But just as it was impossible for Aelin not to glow, it was impossible for her not to immediately beautify everyone around her. Also she tutored Aelin in math all through the older girl’s undergrad, and that was a big confidence boost. 

“Good.” said Aelin, sliding an arm around her. “I’m proud of you. First STEM girl in the family.”

It certainly didn’t hurt Aelin’s case that she was shamelessly proud of her family.

“How’s school?” asked Elide, smiling.

Aelin rolled her eyes. “I got stuck with  _ the worst _ trial advocacy team. Tell you about it over dinner?”

“I’m working tonight.” said Elide ruefully. “Tomorrow?”

“Of course.” Aelin frowned. “That place works you too hard, you know?”

* * *

Morath had been a dive bar ten years ago, until a larger company has swooped it up and turned it into a mini club for college students. Now, it was tacky, played bad music, and charged a lot for alcohol. The reasoning, and Elide hated to see sense in it, was that college freshman would be too excited and scared to take their fake IDs elsewhere, and would buy the weirdly expensive drinks.

Elide ducked behind the bar as the new Justin Bieber was playing loudly in the back, and she winced. Aedion was already there, just as blond and leggy as Aelin, but with broad shoulders and scruff. He shot her a half smile, and three girls queued up at the bar nearly swooned.

She snorted, yanking off her sweater and cardigan so she was just in a black tank top, and rolled her eyes at him.

“Hey, kid.” said Aedion, nudging her with a shoulder as he wiped a glass dry. “How you been?”

“Kicked chem’s ass.” said Elide. “You?”

Aedion made a vague gesture around. “Eh.”

A loud voice from the bar interrupted them. “Excuse me, can I get a gin and tonic?”

Both Elide and Aedion wrinkled their noses, but she pushed ahead to help anyway. “Of course, sir.” called Elide, reaching for the bottle of tonic water with one hand and smacking her hair into a messy bun with the other.

Aedion patted her on the shoulder and went back to his half of the bar, taking orders and flashing a disarming grin at his group of fangirls. 

It was a good night. No one was annoying, no one vomited in the bathroom, and the orders came just fast enough that Elide slipped into her flow state. It didn’t require any mental concentration at all, which suited her just fine. 

An hour before her shift was going to end, she spotted some familiar faces. Long time friend and book club member Dorian Havilliard showed up, already drunk out of his mind, best friend in tow. They waved, and she grinned back, but they headed straight for a booth with about fifty other people crammed into it.

Elide grinned. Dorian drunk dancing was always hilarious, and seeing him was always a perk.  

A soft click of the throat brought her attention back to the bar front, and Elide gasped slightly. There was a woman seated directly in front of her, but Elide hadn’t even noticed. The woman raised a single, shaped brow, and Elide immediately blushed. 

She looked like Aelin. Well, Elide amended hastily, she looked nothing like Aelin, but she had the same cool, ‘don’t mess with me’ vibe that her cousin had. 

“Can I help you?” Elide asked, very proud that she didn’t stutter. 

The woman slowly cocked her head to one side. She was Asian, with long silver slicked back hair. She was wearing dark lipstick, either maroon or straight up black-it was impossible to tell in the light. Elide tried very, very hard to keep her gaze from drifting below the woman’s velvet choker, as her peripherals were telling her that there was a lot of skin against black silk down there, and honestly that was just  _ unsafe. _

“I’ll have the most expensive whiskey you have.” said the woman in a soft voice. She crossed her legs. 

Whiskey. Elide was relieved, that wasn’t difficult to make and there was no way she could make a fool of herself pouring out a glass of whiskey. Aedion passed her as she reached for the bottle, and he winked at the woman at the bar.

There was no change in expression from her, just the slightest narrowing of eyes. Aedion backed off immediately. 

Elide slid the woman a glass, napkin underneath. “Here you go.”

The woman inclined her head slightly, and Elide took that as her chance to escape her unnerving stare. She walked over to Aedion, who pulled her aside.

“Who’s that?” he asked, voice low.

Elide shrugged, rattled for some reason. “No clue.”

Aedion glanced back. The woman was still staring at Elide. “She’s  _ hot _ .”

Elide splayed her hands out in a display of helplessness. “Ah.” she managed to say. “Aaah.”

Aedion gave her one of his stupid fond smiles. He ruffled her hair. “I’ll take care of her if you want, but she looks like she kinda wants to eat you.”

Elide closed her eyes. “What does that even mean?”

“To be honest, cousin? I’ve got no clue.” he clapped her on the back and sent her off towards her next round of customers. 

The woman at the bar had finally averted her gaze, now frowning at the booth Dorian and his friends were in. She tapped her glass with her index finger, and Elide dutifully filled it up again.

“Who is that?” the woman asked, nodding at Dorian.

Elide blinked. “Um, that’s Dorian.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Havilliard, correct?”

Ah. Elide pressed her lips together. Dorian apparently got this a lot. He was, after all, son of a Manhattan socialite. “He’s engaged, so I wouldn’t bother.” she said, a little more sharply than she meant to. 

The woman glanced back at Elide, raising an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole.”

“Well, you can’t, cause he’s engaged.” said Elide, looking back down. This was, apparently, the wrong thing to say to get the woman off her back.

“And to whom is he engaged?” asked the woman. “You seem to have a personal stalk in the matter.”

Elide halted her blush before it began. “My roommate.” she answered, only a little clipped.

“Ah.” the woman leaned forward, and Elide looked determinedly at the ceiling to avoid staring at her cleavage. “Good.”

Elide frowned. “Good?”

The woman’s lips quirked into something like a smile, and she slid some crisp bills on the bar before smoothly leaving.

Elide blinked. Aedion slid over, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “That was rough, kiddo.” he said soothingly. “Come on. Let’s sneak you a shot of vodka.”

“Aah.” said Elide again, downing whatever Aedion poured for her. “God.”

“Yup.” said Aedion sympathetically. “Come on, let’s serve some drunk college students.”

“Yeah.” Elide nodded. “That’s exactly what I need to forget about the pantsuit experience I just had.”

“El?” Aedion frowned. “She wasn’t wearing a pantsuit. She was wearing a dress. It was like silk, or something, her boobs looked  _ great _ .”

“Oh thank god.” said Elide, shivering. ‘I didn’t look down that far. I just assumed it was a pantsuit, cause she reminded me of cousin A on her angry days.”

Aedion let out a bark of laughter, steering her back to the bar front. “ _ Never _ tell her that.”

* * *

The woman came back.

It was over a week later, Elide was well into her winter break, and everyone who worked at Morath was forced into ridiculous Santa hats. Aedion wore his with flair, Elide with slightly less. 

She wasn’t even supposed to be working. Elide had been horizontal on the couch of her apartment, her roommate gracefully perched on an adjacent armchair while  _ Gilmore Girls _ reruns played on their tiny television.

“Aren’t you glad we don’t have to vacate for the break?” asked roommate Sorscha, delicately painting her nails.

Sorscha was the type of girl who spoke quietly and rarely, despite her ability to convey volumes with a single clipped ‘Hm’. She reminded Elide of Beth, the chillest sister in  _ Little Women _ , combined with Imperator Furiosa. 

“Well I’m technically homeless, so yeah.” Elide said. She normally lived with Aelin or their friend Lysandra over break.

“Hm.” said Sorscha, conveying sympathy and deep regret. 

“Are you staying with Dorian over break?”

The other girl nodded, a small smile lighting up her face. “I’ll stop in.”

Elide was about to answer when her phone, lying on her abdomen, buzzed. She checked the screen and groaned loudly.

 

**Lorcan [8:43] hey can you cover my shift**

**Lorcan [8:43] i know its late dont kill me**

 

“What is it?” asked Sorscha.

“Lorcan.” said Elide, rolling her eyes.

“Ah.” her roommate nodded knowingly. “The needy ex.”

Elide considered for a moment. It was true that Lorcan was indeed needy, as well as an ex-boyfriend of hers, but the words together made an interesting identifier. “He wants to know if I can take over his shift tonight.” she explained. 

Sorscha wrinkled her nose.

“I know.” said Elide, lifting her phone.

 

**You [8:45] Seriously?**

**Lorcan [8:46] something came up**

**You [8:46] Lorcan.**

**Lorcan [8:47] pls dont ask i really dont want to clarify this further**

**Lorcan [8:47] ill owe you**

**You [8:47] You already owe me six months of my time and three faked orgasms**

**Lorcan [8:48] oh my god**

 

Elide snorted. The one good thing about dating, then breaking up, then staying tentative friends with her coworker was that she could still heckle him. 

 

**You [8:48] Don’t worry, I’ll cover you**

**Lorcan [8:49] EL**

**Lorcan [8:49] YOURE THE BEST**

**You [8:50] You owe me**

 

“I’m going in tonight.” said Elide. Sorscha looked up and raised an eyebrow. “It’s fine. Lor owes me. I’m going to get him to buy us food.”

“Well, as long as the payoff is good.” commented Sorscha, her attention back on her nails. 

* * *

 

Elide got to Morath first that evening, Aedion coming in a record five minutes late. She smiled and waved at him, and he readjusted the Santa hat on her head.

“I thought it was Lorcan’s shift?” he asked.

“He texted me an hour ago asking to switch.” Elide said.

“Asshole.”

Elide smiled. “Yeah, a bit.”

It was a Sunday, so not much business. Elide was able to drag over a stool and sit on her phone for most of her shift, while Aedion charmed the occasional tourist. Not many, it seemed, wanted to be at a club so close to the holidays. 

That was a good sign, at least, thought Elide. She reorganized their liquor for the fourth time that night, this time by color of the label.

“Holy shit.” said Aedion softly, looking beyond the bar.

“What?” asked Elide, turning around. He looked vaguely threatened. “Aedion?”

Her fellow bartender jerked his chin at the door, where a large group of girls were streaming in. Elide put down a bottle of gin. 

Each woman was dressed like a model and had the legs to match, and when Elide squinted she could see that one of them had a plastic tiara perched on her red hair that spelled ‘bride’.

“Oh.” she said. “They’re a bachelorette party.”

Aedion still looked offset. “I’ve literally never been more intimidated in my life and I can’t tell why.”

“It’s cause they’re not smiling.” said Elide dryly, turning back to her alcohol. That was true-each of them were striking looks and sucking in their cheeks as though they were simply very bored with their proceedings. For a bridal party, she thought, no one seemed to be having much fun.

“Jesus.” said Aedion. “Okay.  _ Oh _ boy.”

“What now?” asked Elide, bemused. 

“Lys is gonna kill me if I don’t get the exact serial numbers of all their handbags.” said Aedion hurriedly, searching for a pen. 

She laughed, and Aedion began to squint at the distant emblems on their purses. As he did that, a smaller group of three broke off from the bridal party and headed over to the bar. Elide immediately schooled her expression into something more appropriate.

“What can I get you?” she asked. 

“Shots.” said the bride, tossing her red hair and looking very determined. 

Elide fought a smile. “Of what?”

“Do you have Everclear?” piped in a girl behind her, with long golden hair. She was the only one smiling, and she grinned daggers at Elide. 

Elide blanched. “Um.”

“Don’t tease.” said the bride. “Tequila will do. Three each.”

“That I can do.” said Elide, reaching underneath the bar to grab shot glasses.

“Excellent.” said the bride. “Hey, Manon! Come have a drink!”

Elide glanced up from pouring the amber liquid and immediately spilled it across the table. The woman the bride had called to was the same woman from last week, with the silver hair and the cheekbones and the black silk. 

She looked just as intimidatingly attractive, once again in black, though the color of her velvet choker was now a deep crimson. 

“Vesta,” said Manon calmly, striding forward. “Pace yourself.”

A large hand quickly titled the tequila bottle that Elide was holding, so that it no longer spilled liquor on the wooden bartop. 

“Watch yourself, El.” said Aedion quietly, before sliding her salt and lime wedges. She shot him a grateful look, and finished the rest of the shots. 

Vesta downed her three before Elide finished sliding them over. “What for?” 

The woman- _ Manon _ -lay a hand on the golden one’s shoulder. “Asterin,” she said in that soft, dangerous voice. “Look after her.”

“Of course.” said Asterin immediately. “But you should have a drink.”

Manon glanced at the bar, meeting Elide’s eyes. “Hm.”

Elide fought her blush every step of the way, but lost the battle. Her cheeks flushed. Manon’s gold eyes narrowed, and she slid into the same seat she sat in days ago.

“W-” Elide coughed. “What can I get you?”

Manon said nothing, just leaned forward, perching her elbow on the bar and leaning her cheek against it. “Havilliard’s fiance’s roommate.” she said.

Elide bit her tongue, hard. 

“Do you have a name?” asked the woman in front of her.

“‘Havilliard’s finance’s roommate’ works just fine.” said Elide quickly. “What’ll you have?”

“Well, that’s not fair.” said Manon. “You know my name, after all.”

“I do?”

“My dear friend did yell it across your bar.”

Asterin and Vesta, as well as the third girl who accompanied them, watched this exchange with laser focus. Elide, however, was stuck swimming in Manon’s gaze. She couldn’t look away. Finally, she relented. “Elide.”

Manon nodded. “Whiskey.”

Like it was an exchange. Elide poured her a glass of the same whiskey she had requested before, and placed it on a napkin. Manon drained it in a single gulp.

Elide wasn’t exactly sure why her fight or flight response was screaming at her, but because it was a damn Sunday, there were no other customers to serve. She directed her attention, instead, at Vesta.

“On the house.” said Elide, trying not to look at the woman in front of her. “Congratulations.”

Vesta’s eyes lit up. 

“That’s very kind.” said Manon. She tapped her glass, and Elide filled it up again.

“Bar policy.” said Elide. Where was Aedion?

“So  _ Elide _ .” said Manon, and the way she said her name seemed to be some kind of code, because all three of Manon’s friends immediately turned around and went back to the bridal party. Elide looked after them helplessly. “What do you do?”

“I serve drinks.”

“Well that’s not all.” Manon said, raising her glass to her perfectly painted lips. 

“It pretty much is.”

“I can’t be. I’ve been in here twice since the last time we saw each other and you, Elide, were not here.”

It was like Elide’s brain shorted out. She blinked twice. Despite Manon not even hinting at a smile, Elide could still tell that the other woman was infinitely amused. She swallowed, her throat feeling extremely dry. “I go to Columbia.”

Manon raised an eyebrow. “And you study...?”

“Biology. Pre-med.”

The other woman nodded, taking another drink. Elide felt a desperate need to counter. “And what do you do?”

Manon just looked at her, as if daring her to take the question back. Elide gripped the bar tightly, to ground herself. 

“I,” started the woman after a brief pause. “Am the financial director of Blackbeak International.”

“Oh.” said Elide, blinking. “That’s a little more impressive than pre-med.”

“Well, you’re the one serving the drinks I’m buying.” Manon said. She paused. “I, however, am also in school.”  

Elide nodded, looking back down. Her hair fell across her face like a curtain. Manon leaned back, and after a few minutes, was called back to her friends. 

 

* * *

It became conversations across a bar, little tidbits revealed through offhand conversations.

“Where do you live?” asked Manon one day, propping up her chin with a hand.

“Dorms.”

“And on the holidays?”

Elide winced. “I crash at my cousin’s.”

Manon nodded slowly.

Another time, it was about parents:

“You’re an orphan?”

“Yeah.”

“So am I.”

Every week, every shift, Manon was there. Elide could’ve sworn she had memorized her schedule. The woman always appeared in work clothes, always with hair and makeup impeccable. Sometimes, she brought that girl Asterin, or another one of her friends, a stunning girl with dark skin and hair called Sorrell. 

“You have friends?” asked Elide dryly one of those nights.

Manon looked almost offended. “Of course I have friends.”

Elide snorted. 

“What is  _ that _ supposed to mean?”

Finally, a few weeks after they had met, Elide asked the question that had been plaguing her. 

“Why did you ask after Dorian, that first night?”

Manon smirked. Elide almost needed to sit down, because she was one hundred percent no prepared for a  _ smirk _ . “Don’t worry about it.”

Elide gave her a look.

“I’m heir to the company.” said Manon. She waved a hand. “Manon Blackbeak. The current CEO isn’t on great terms with Dorian Havilliard’s father.”

Instant dislike for the man swept through her. “Who isn’t?” she said.

Manon was still doing that half-smile thing, and it was probably the longest Elide had seen her not glare. “Elide.” she started.

“Yeah?”

Manon held out a hand. Elide eyed it warily. “Your hand, please.”

Slowly, she placed her hand on Manon’s palm. The other woman flipped it over immediately, grabbing her wrist and examining it with the other hand. 

“What are you doing?”

“You learn a lot about a person from their hands.” said Manon, unconcerned of the blush starting to gather in Elide’s cheeks. She lightly drew a line across Elide’s palm with a fingernail.

Elide snatched back her hand, holding it to her chest. “Um.” she said. Manon looked up at her. “I need to-there are customers.”

“Of course.” said Manon, glancing at the empty barfront. 

“Right.” Elide shoved her hands into her pockets and exhaled, hard. “I’m just-”

She headed off the the other end of the bar without a word, motioning for Aedion to switch sides for a moment.  

* * *

When Elide came into work on Monday, Manon was sitting there waiting for her. 

She almost turned around and walked home, but the look on Lorcan’s, who was currently serving Manon, face was enough for her to go relieve him.

“Tap in.” Elide said to him, taking his Santa hat off and putting it on her own head. Lorcan shot a grateful look at her. 

“Thank god.” he said, catching her hand. Elide jolted at the memory of Manon’s fingers skimming her skin. “I still owe you.”

Elide smiled wryly. “Buy me dinner?”

His eyebrows flew up. 

“For me and my roommate.” Elide clarified, patting him on the shoulder. “That’s not gonna happen, Lor.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Lorcan answered, letting go of her hand. “Call me when.”

“Sure.” said Elide. 

“By the way,” called Lorcan, one foot already out the door. “Three? Really?”

“You keep telling yourself what you need to, okay?” Elide returned, waving goodbye. She took a deep breath, and turned to Manon. “Can I freshen that drink?”

“Not just yet.” said the financial director of a fortune-500 company. She was wearing a suit today, a navy so dark it was practically black. Her silver hair was wrapped in a sleek bun. 

“Let me know if you need anything.” said Elide, after an awkward pause. 

“Hm.” said Manon, and the sound was becoming so familiar that Elide swore inwardly. “That boy likes you.”

“No, he doesn’t.” said Elide.

Manon cocked her head to the side. 

“We used to date.” Elide offered. “That’s already done.”

“Ah.” said Manon. “Good.”

And again, Elide looked back at her. “Good?” she echoed. 

“He seemed a bit of an idiot.” said Manon lightly. 

Elide bit her lip hard to keep from smiling. “He is what he is.” she said weakly, and it felt like a cop-out. 

Her phone buzzed at her hip, and Elide checked it under the table. 

 

**Cousin A [9:02] hey b are u working?? lys just finished her show we might stop by just an fyi <3 love u**

 

Aelin ended most of her messages with ‘<3 love u’. It was impossibly endearing. Elide pocketed her phone again, smiling despite herself. She hadn’t seen Aelin in a few days, as her cousin was very busy with her trial ad team and other school work. It was a good thing Aeidon wasn’t working today, however. Whenever the two of them hung out, they got terribly unprofessional.

Manon tapped her glass, and Elide filled it up. “Who was that?”

“What?”

“Your phone.” said Manon. She raised an eyebrow. “You’re smiling, and I haven’t seen you do that without your other bartender. The large blond one.”

“It was family.” said Elide, wiping down the counter. She needed to do something with her hands. “Aedion’s family too.”

“Family?”

“Of sorts.” said Elide. She didn’t normally get into the topic, but Aelin and Aedion weren’t blood related to her. Aelin’s dad was Elide’s dad’s best friend, and so they grew up calling each other ‘cousin’. When...everything with Aelin happened, Elide had hardly been around to help pick up the pieces. But things kept hitting them, Elide’s injury, Aelin’s addiction, basically everything Aedion did since his mother died, until the three of them were inseparably bonded. 

“Do you have family?” she found herself asking. Manon was such a weird mystery that Elide felt strange thinking of her in other contexts than that bar stool. 

“Yes.” said Manon. “A large one. Asterin is one of my cousins.”

“That must be nice.” offered Elide. She never thought of having a large family.

“Hm.” said Manon, eyes flickering down. 

A sudden influx of customers kept Elide busy for the next twenty or so minutes. Manon didn’t move, and hardly touched her drink. 

Aelin did stop by, mutual friend Lysandra in tow. Lysandra was short, pretty,  and had long black hair currently in a high bun on the back of her head. She sent a dazzling smile Elide’s way as the two of them made their way over.

“Hey, El.” said Lysandra, as Aelin leaned over the bar to kiss Elide on the cheek. 

“Lys, Cousin A.” Elide beamed. “Drinks?”

“Rum and coke.” said Lysandra.

Aelin wrinkled her nose. “You got wine?”

“Baby.” chided Lys.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” said Elide, grinning and reaching down. Aelin was strictly vodka and red wine. She poured a glass of Morath’s best red, and made Lysandra’s rum and coke. “How did the show go?”

“Well.” said Lys, shrugging. Lysandra was a well respected background dancer, hired out for live shows, music videos, and more. 

“Modest.” said Aelin, smiling and slinging an arm around her waist. “Katy Perry’s been calling to get this one on her tour for months.”

“Really?”

“I’d never.” said Lysandra, shaking her head. 

Elide’s attention was called away by other people who wanted a drink. She said a quick goodbye to her cousin and friend, and went to do her job. 

It only took a few minutes before the bar was clear again. Elide huffed, wiping a hand across her forehead, and turned to find Aelin again.

What she saw was, however, her worst nightmare. Her cousin stood, back to the bar, speaking in clipped tones with Manon, who was bearing her teeth.

Elide rushed over to see that Aelin’s expression was hard and her eyes were flinty, and the last person she looked at like that was now serving consecutive life sentences in prison.

“Cousin A.”

Aelin turned to her, eyes still cold. “Sorry, El. Just ran into a  _ friend _ .”

Elide looked from her to Manon, who was doing the same. Manon opened her mouth slightly. “Um.”

“Family.” said Manon, raising an eyebrow. “Really?”

Aelin furrowed her brow. “The hell is it to you?”

Immediately, a million things collided in Elide’s brain. How many times over the last two years had she heard Aelin loudly complain about the rich bitch in her class with the dyed hair and the attitude? “Oh my god.”

“Have you been coming here?” asked Aelin, voice going soft and scary. “Did you know she was my-”

“Do us all a favor, Galathynius, and shut up.” said Manon coolly, sipping her whiskey. 

“I’d love to,  _ Blackbeak _ , but there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding.” Aelin folded her arms, mouth setting. Manon looked up at her, and raised an eyebrow.

“ _ Aelin _ .” said Elide firmly. “Can I speak to you.”

Aelin blinked, and she looked back at her cousin. “El-”

“Here, please.” said Elide, heading to the other side of the bar. Aelin followed. “What are you doing?”

“That’s Manon Blackbeak.” said Aelin, jerking her chin forward. “I’ve told you about her.”

“Yeah, I’ve-” Elide sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I just realized.”

“She’s a regular?” asked Aelin.

“Sorta.”  Elide pressed her lips together. “Look, it’s fine, okay? She’s not bitchy to me or anything, and if anything she makes the bar a lot of money.”

Aelin frowned. “ _ I hate _ that you have to work here.”

“Moot point, A.”

“I know.” Aelin sighed. “Okay. I’ll stop being a high intensity bitch.”

“Thanks.”

“I should actually get going once Lys is back from the bathroom.” 

“Okay.” said Elide. “I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, kiddo.” said Aelin, a fond smile stretching her face. “Take care of yourself.”

“And you.”

Elide headed back over to Manon, who was staring at her with an eagle sharp gaze.

“So.” said Manon, colder than Elide had ever heard her. “I’m guessing my money isn’t welcome here anymore?”

Oh no. Elide was going to shut that down immediately. “I’m broke.”’ she said roughly. “Your money is always gonna be welcome here.”

Manon blinked, and Elide felt a raw sense of satisfaction at the surprise she was getting from the older girl. “Oh.” 

Elide began organizing bottles.

“I assumed Queen of the World Galathynius would forbid you from serving me. Or speaking to me.”

“Aelin is my cousin, and I won’t hear a word against her.” Elide said, still shelving bottles. “But I don’t exactly share her every opinion.”

Manon had gone very still. “For example?”

“For example, she thinks you’re an entitled rich girl who got into an Ivy League based on legacy alone.”

“And you?” her voice was so quiet Elide barely heard her.

“I think you’re complicated.” said Elide, trying very hard to appear nonchalant. She accidently looked up, meeting Manon’s eyes. That was a mistake, she thought frantically. Oh boy. “And. Um, and I think you care about your friends, and you’re...more than your money.”

Manon was silent for a long time, and as Elide watched, she slowly bit her lip. “Elide.”

“Yeah?”

“When do you get off work?” Manon leaned forward.

Elide felt her chest contract very suddenly. “Eleven.”

“That’s about an hour.”

“Yes.”

“Excellent.” said Manon, taking her bag and leaving without another word. 

Elide was left blinking after her, and as soon as the door to Morath swung shut, she collapsed onto a stool.

* * *

Aedion showed up to take over fifteen minutes to eleven, and he grinned at her.

“So I heard Ace stopped by.”

Elide groaned. “Did you know the lady stopping by was her mortal law school enemy?”

“No, but I should have guessed.” said Aedion. “What does this mean for you?

“What do you mean.”

And then Aedion started waggling his eyebrows at her, so Elide shoved a dish towel in his face. “Stop that immediately.”

“You can take off, if you want.” laughed Aedion. “I got this.”

“Oh, but the crowd’s gonna start coming in.”

“Yeah, so you should be far away when that happens.” Aedion gave her a little push. “Otherwise you’re never gonna leave.”

“Well-”

“Coincidentally,” said Aedion. “And I’m just saying this cause, you know, it’s interesting, there’s a very expensive car our front, and I’ve been told it’s been loitering there for about an hour.”

Elide nearly dropped her dish towel. ‘What?”

“Black car. Very sleek.” Aedion hummed. “I wish I knew anything about cars.”

“Aedion, seriously?”

“Seriously.” he said. “Go.”

Elide turned.

“Wait.” Aedion grabbed her arm, and shoved something into her hand. “Sneak a shot of vodka first.”

“You, Aedion Ashryver, are a star.” declared Elide. She knocked the vodka back and headed out the door. 

* * *

It was snowing, outside, and Elide shoved her arms into her cardigan. It was too light for the weather, but she didn’t live far.

Anyway, Manon Blackbeak was standing against a black Audi, snow blending into her hair and dusting her peacoat. She was also holding two steaming cups of coffee. Her silver hair was down.

Jesus, thought Elide.

“You’re early.” said Manon, surprise lightly tinging her voice. 

“Aedion told me you were out here.” Elide said. She prayed for the vodka to take effect, and then stomped up to Manon. “Why, exactly, are you out here?”

Manon handed her the cup. “Coffee?”

Elide took it on reflex, college student brain flashing at the sight of caffeine. “Thank you. And why, exactly, are you here?”

Manon exhaled, and Elide could see the white fog of breath escape her, it was so cold. “Hold this.” she said, handing Elide the second coffee cup.

Elide took it. “What-”

And then cold fingers tilted her chin up and Manon Blackbeak lightly pressed her lips against Elide’s mouth. 

Elide’s hands spasmed, knocking a great deal of coffee out of the cups. Her eyes were wide open, but so were Manon’s. Her gold eyes were narrowed in concentration, fixed solely on Elide, scouring her gaze for any hint of emotion. 

After a moment, she pulled back.

Elide gasped slightly as the cold hit her. Her brain felt like it had been hotwired, and then driven off a cliff or into a hurricane or something equally dramatic and shaking. Manon was in front of her, still supernaturally beautiful, still perfect and cold and imperious, but with two pink spots of color high on her cheeks.

“W-” her throat wasn’t working. “What?”

“I thought I could catch you with your hands full.” said Manon quietly. 

Elide was processing. It wasn’t going very well. Several pieces of information became very clear to her: 1) Manon could’ve been flirting with her several times in Morath and Elide was either too dense or too intimidated to notice 2) Elide was very, very interested in Manon Blackbeak, who happened to be 3) her cousin Aelin’s law school nemesis, 4) Aedion Ashryver had seen this coming and she hadn’t, and most importantly 5) Manon Blackbeak was  _ blushing _ .

Finally, her brain made a  _ click _ sort of sound and she had processed.

Elide tossed the cups of coffee to the side, creating dark stains in the snow. She reached up to take Manon’s cheeks (her  _ blushing _ cheeks) in her hands and stood on her toes to get to eye level. 

“I’ll pay you back for the coffee.” she said, before closing the distance between them and kissing the other woman hard.

A gust of wind blew Manon’s hair directly into Elide’s face. Manon pushed it away, almost impatiently, and wrapped an arm around Elide’s waist, yanking her closer. Her other hand came up to cradle the shorter girl’s face.

A sharp sort of clarity dawned upon Elide, where she was suddenly aware of everything that was going on in her body, the lips moving against hers, even the slightest hitch in her breath. Manon tasted like the whiskey she spent a fortune on, like snow and steel. Elide grinned against her mouth, but Manon made a soft clicking noise in the back of her throat and bit down softly on Elide’s lower lip, dragging her attention back to the soft slide of the kiss. 

But it was Manon who pulled back, eventually, her eyes dark and wide. Elide followed suit, starting to unlink her arms from their place around Manon’s neck. Manon took her hand and pressed an open mouthed kiss to Elide’s wrist.

Elide went red. “So.” she started, trying to regain composure. “Did you really spend hundreds of dollars on alcohol to flirt with me.”

Manon smiled, and it was the brightest thing Elide had seen all week. All year. In her life, possibly. “I hate to tell you this, but your bar is shit.”

*

Much, much later, lying on Manon’s king sized bed while the woman in question argued with a takeout delivery man, Elide checked her phone.

 

**Cousin A [1:23] AEDION SAID U WENT HOME W/ MANON**

**Cousin A [1:23] YIKIES LIKE NIKES**

**Cousin A [1:25] I HOPE U GUYS WERE SAFE STIS ARE TRANSMITTABLE BY A LOT OF THINGS**

**Cousin A [1:27] EL. AAAAAA. CALL ME WHEN U CAN <3 LOVE U**

 

That’s nice, thought Elide weakly. She lay her phone back down as Manon, came padding back to bed. “Aelin is freaking out.” she said, as Manon lay next to her.

Manon smirked. “Good.”

“She’s torn between being supportive and being overprotective, so I’d lay low for a little while.” Elide smiled.

“I can handle your cousin.” Manon scoffed. 

“You better.” said Elide. She smoothed down her hair. “So, how long can we stay here?”

“In my apartment, or in bed?”

“Both.”

Manon’s smile matched her own. “As long as we want.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr at cosmicrhetoric!!


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